Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
For use in combination with a variable speed device having pressure-responsive control means for varying the speed of said device in accordance with a pressure signal transmitted thereto; means for generating a pressure signal variable in accordance with an operating condition of said device comprising pRessure pulse-generating means for periodically transmitting gaseous fluid pressure pulses, pressure pulse-dividing means having pulse-receiving means and a pair of outlet conduits, cyclically operable dividing means in said pulse-dividing means operable to divide pulses received by said receiving means between said outlet conduits in proportions determined by the phase of said cyclically operable dividing means within its cycle at the time of arrival of a pulse at said pulse-receiving means, delay line means for transmitting pulses from said generating means to said pulse-receiving means with a finite time delay, means responsive to said operating condition of said variable speed device for varying the relationship between the phase of the cyclically operable dividing means and the time of arrival of a pulse at said pulse-receiving means in accordance with variations in said operating condition, and means coupling at least one of said outlet conduits to said pressure-responsive control means to transmit those portions of the divided pulses to said pressureresponsive means to constitute said pressure signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
210 words
For use in combination with a variable speed device having pressure-responsive control means for varying the speed of said device in accordance with a pressure signal transmitted thereto; means for generating a pressure signal variable in accordance with an operating condition of said device comprising pRessure pulse-generating means for periodically transmitting gaseous fluid pressure pulses, pressure pulse-dividing means having pulse-receiving means and a pair of outlet conduits, cyclically operable dividing means in said pulse-dividing means operable to divide pulses received by said receiving means between said outlet conduits in proportions determined by the phase of said cyclically operable dividing means within its cycle at the time of arrival of a pulse at said pulse-receiving means, delay line means for transmitting pulses from said generating means to said pulse-receiving means with a finite time delay, means responsive to said operating condition of said variable speed device for varying the relationship between the phase of the cyclically operable dividing means and the time of arrival of a pulse at said pulse-receiving means in accordance with variations in said operating condition, and means coupling at least one of said outlet conduits to said pressure-responsive control means to transmit those portions of the divided pulses to said pressureresponsive means to constitute said pressure signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said operating condition is the temperature within a selected region, which temperature is variable in accordance with the speed of said variable speed device, said means responsive to said operating condition comprising means thermally exposing said delay line means to said selected region to cause the temperature of the gaseous fluid within said delay line means to vary in accordance with variations in temperature in said selected region whereby the velocity of said pulses through said delay line means is varied in response to variations in temperature of said selected region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention defined in claim 2 further comprising means for operating said cyclically operable dividing means and said pressure pulse-generating means at the same operating frequency whereby one pulse is transmitted from said pulse-generating means during each cycle of operation of said cyclically operable dividing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for operating comprises means driven by said variable speed device whereby said operating frequency is proportional to the speed of said variable speed device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said pulse-generating means comprises first fluidic amplifier means and said pulse-dividing means comprises second fluidic amplifier means, each of said amplifier means having a fluid source, a pair of outlet conduits and control port means operable upon the application of a first fluid signal to direct the flow of fluid from said fluid source into one of said pair of outlet conduits and operable in response to a second fluid signal to direct the flow of fluid from said source to the other of said outlet conduits, and means for periodically applying a first fluid signal to the control port of each of said fluidic amplifier means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention of claim 5 wherein said means for periodically applying a fluid signal comprises means driven by said variable speed device at a cyclic rate proportional to the speed of said variable speed device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
111 words
The invention of claim 6 wherein said pulse dividing means further comprises fluidic AND element means having a pair of inlet ports, a pair of outlet ports, means operable when fluid flows simultaneously into both of said inlet ports to direct the combined fluid flow to one of said outlet ports and operable upon flow of fluid only into either one of said inlet ports to direct the flow to the other of said outlet ports, said inlet ports of said AND element means being respectively connected to one outlet conduit of each of said amplifier means, and means connecting said one of said outlet ports to said pressure-responsive control means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said means for periodically applying a fluid signal comprises bistable fluidic oscillator means having a pair of output conduits And means for alternately discharging a fluid pulse into said output conduits, said output conduits being respectively connected to the control ports of said amplifier means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
153 words
The method of controlling the operation of a variable speed device in accordance with variations in an operating conditions by means of a pressure-responsive control means comprising the steps of periodically transmitting gaseous fluid pressure pulses to a pulse-receiving station through a first conduit of an effective length such that a finite time interval is required for a pulse to travel through the conduit, cyclically operating a pulse-dividing means at said pulse-receiving station to divide incoming pulses between a pair of outlet conduits in proportions determined by the phase of the dividing means within its cycle of operation at the time of arrival of the pulse at the receiving station, varying the relationship between the phase of said dividing means and the time of arrival of the pulse in accordance with variations in an operating condition of said variable speed device, and connecting one of said outlet conduits to said pressure-responsive control means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
153 words
The method of controlling the operation of a variable speed device in accordance with variations in an operating conditions by means of a pressure-responsive control means comprising the steps of periodically transmitting gaseous fluid pressure pulses to a pulse-receiving station through a first conduit of an effective length such that a finite time interval is required for a pulse to travel through the conduit, cyclically operating a pulse-dividing means at said pulse-receiving station to divide incoming pulses between a pair of outlet conduits in proportions determined by the phase of the dividing means within its cycle of operation at the time of arrival of the pulse at the receiving station, varying the relationship between the phase of said dividing means and the time of arrival of the pulse in accordance with variations in an operating condition of said variable speed device, and connecting one of said outlet conduits to said pressure-responsive control means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method defined in claim 9 wherein the step of varying the relationship between the phase of the dividing means and time of arrival of the pulse comprises the step of exposing a portion of said first conduit to the temperature of a selected region to cause the temperature of gaseous fluid within said first conduit to vary in accordance with variations in temperature within said selected region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method defined in claim 10 further comprising the step of cyclically operating said dividing means at the same operating frequency as pulses are transmitted from said first location.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of maintaining said operating frequency is a fixed proportional relationship to the speed of said variable speed device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of maintaining said operating frequency constant throughout changes in speed of said variable speed device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of cyclically operating a pulse-dividing means comprises the steps of periodically transmitting gaseous pressure fluid pulses to said receiving station through a second conduit of a length such that a finite time interval is required for a pulse to travel through the conduit, transmitting that portion of pulses arriving simultaneously through both conduits at said receiving station through one of said outlet conduits and transmitting the remaining portions of the arriving pulses through the other of said outlet conduits.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of generating a pressure signal variable in accordance with the speed of a variable speed device having more than one operating cycle comprising the steps of generating a series of pressure pulses of substantially equal amplitude during a selected fixed portion of each of two out-of-phase operating cycles of the variable speed device whereby the pulses of the two series are of the same frequency and are out of phase with each other, transmitting each series of pulses separately to a comparing station while maintaining the amplitude of both series of pulses substantially constant, and combining at said station those portions of the pulses of the two series which arrive at said station simultaneously and separating the combined pulse portions from the remaining portions of the arriving pulses to thereby produce a pressure signal variable with variations in the time interval between the generation of corresponding out of phase pulses of the respective series.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of generating a pressure signal variable in accordance with the speed of a variable speed device having more than one operating cycle comprising the steps of generating a series of pressure pulses of substantially equal amplitude during a selected fixed portion of each of two out-of-phase operating cycles of the variable speed device whereby the pulses of the two series are of the same frequency and are out of phase with each other, transmitting each series of pulses separately to a comparing station while maintaining the amplitude of both series of pulses substantially constant, and combining at said station those portions of the pulses of the two series which arrive at said station simultaneously and separating the combined pulse portions from the remaining portions of the arriving pulses to thereby produce a pressure signal variable with variations in the time interval between the generation of corresponding out of phase pulses of the respective series.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
157 words
In a multicylinder internal combustion engine, a speed-sensing system for generating a fluid pressure signal variable in accordance with variations in the speed of the engine comprising a pair of similar pulse-generating means respectively associated with each of two out-of-phase cylinders of said engine for generating a series of pressure pulses at a frequency proportional to the speed of said engine, said generating means being operable to generate a pulse during a selected portion only of the operating cycle of the associated cylinder, a fluidic AND element, separate conduit means for transmitting pulses from the respective generating means to said AND element, said AND element having a pair of outlet conduits and being operable to combine those pulse portions arriving at said AND element simultaneously from said separate conduit means and to transmit the combined pulse portions through one of said outlet conduits and to transmit the remaining pulse portions through the other of said outlet conduits.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
157 words
In a multicylinder internal combustion engine, a speed-sensing system for generating a fluid pressure signal variable in accordance with variations in the speed of the engine comprising a pair of similar pulse-generating means respectively associated with each of two out-of-phase cylinders of said engine for generating a series of pressure pulses at a frequency proportional to the speed of said engine, said generating means being operable to generate a pulse during a selected portion only of the operating cycle of the associated cylinder, a fluidic AND element, separate conduit means for transmitting pulses from the respective generating means to said AND element, said AND element having a pair of outlet conduits and being operable to combine those pulse portions arriving at said AND element simultaneously from said separate conduit means and to transmit the combined pulse portions through one of said outlet conduits and to transmit the remaining pulse portions through the other of said outlet conduits.